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[House  Bill,  No.  19.]  - 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIA^ES.— January  27,  1863.— Read 
first  and  second  times,  referred  to  Committee  on  Quartermaster  and 
Comnjissary  Departments  nnd  Military  Tran?!portotion,  and  ordered 
to  be  printed. 

[By  I^Fr.  Mu.v^.] 


A.   BILL 

To  provide  for  the  safe]J]and  expeditious  transportation  of  troops  and 
munitions  of  ^var  by  railroads. 

1  Section   1.   T/ic  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States  of  Ameriea  do 

2  ennct,  That  to  facilitate  the  efficient,  prompt,  and  uninterrupted 
;5  transportation  of  troops  md  military  munitions  and  supplies,  the 
•I  l^-esident  shall  appoint  a  Military  Chief  of  lUilroad  Transporta- 
5  tion,  who  shall  have  th.e  rank  of  a"Lieutenant  Colonel  and  receive 
G  compensation  at  th )  rate  of  FlVO  thousand  dollars  per  annum, 
7  payable  quarterly,  -who  shaf^  hold  his  office  during  the  pleasure 
S  of  the  Fresi'lent,  and  wlio  sliall  bo  selected  from  the  railroad 
9  officers  in  the  Confederate  States  with  a  special  view  to  his  judg- 

10  mont,  skill  and  experience  in  the  practical  details  of  railroad 

11  operations  and  machinery,  and  wlio  shall  liohl  no  other  office  nor 

12  employment  durin.o;  its  oontinuance. 


1  Sec.  2.  JSe  it  further  enacted,  That  tho  said  Military  Chief  of 

2  Railroad  Transportation  shall  be  authorized  and  required  to  di- 

3  vide  the  railroads   in  the  Confederate  States  into  not  less  than 

4  two  nor  more   than  four  Railroad  Districts,  over  each  of  which 

5  districts  the  President  shall  appoint  a  District  Military  Superin- 
G  tendent,  who  shall  have  the  rank  of  a  Major,  with  the  annual 

7  compensation   of  sixteen  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  and  who 

8  shall  also  be  selected  from  the  railroad  ofBcers  of  the  Confederate 

9  States,  with  a  special  view  to  his  judgment,  experience  and  skill 

10  in  the  operations  and  machinery  of  railroads,  and  who  shall  hold 

1 1  his  office  at  the  pleasure  of  the  President. 

1  Sec.  3.   Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  acting  President  an<.4^ 

2  Superintendent  of  edch  railroad  shall,  ex  officio,  be  the  local  ani"* 

3  special  Military  Superintendents  of  tho  operations  of  each  sucj.. 

4  railroad,  and  shall  have  the  rank,  respectively,  the  President  of 

5  a  Major  and  the  Superintendent  of  a  Captain,  but  without  any 

6  pay  or  pecuniary  compensation  to  either  by  virtue  of  such  rank. 

1  Sec.  4.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  Road  Master  and  each 

2  Conductor   of    Passenger    trains,    and   other   trains    conveying 

3  troops,  of  each  railroad,  shall  have  the  rank,  but  without  any 

4  pay  as  such,  of  a   First   Lieutenant;    and  each   Chief  Station 

5  Agent,  and  Section  Master  shall  have  the  rank,  but  without  any 

6  pay  as  such,  of  Second  Lieutenanti 


1  Sec.  o.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  in  all  matters  pertaining  to        7^ 

2  their  respective  official  duties  as  railroad  officers  and  pertaining         '^^^ 

3  to  railroad  operations  entrusted  to  their  care,  each  of  the  officers 

4  of  railroads  herein  named,   shall  have  complete '  and  exclusive 

0  control,  and  be  subject  to  no  interference  or  control  of  any 
G  military  officer,  of  whatever  rank,  except  as  hereinafter  provided 

7  for;  and  that  any  military  officer,  of  whatever  rank,  not  engaged 

8  in  the  management  of  any  railroad,  who  shall  interfere  with  the 

9  movement  of  any  train  or  other  operations  of  such  road,  shall  be 

10  deemed  guilty  of  a  military  offence,  and,  upon  charges  preferred 

1:  '  '^y  the    President   of  the  railroad    company,  may  be  tried   and 

^)unished  at  the  discretion  of  a  court  martial. 
) 

1  Sec.  G.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  each  such  railroad   officer 

shall,  as  to  the  operations  of  liis  railroad  and  the  protection  of 

3  its  property,  be  ciotiied,  accordiug  to  his  rank  and  within  the 

:  scope  of  his  duties,  v>-ith  military  authorit}^  over  the  agents  and 

5  operatives  and  watchmen  or  guards  under  his  authority,  and  over 
G  any  other  persons  who  may  molest  or  intrude  upon  any  property 
7  belonging  to  his  railroad. 

1  Sec.  7.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  each 

2  District  Railroad  Superintendent,  with  the  aid,  and,  after  con- 

3  sultation  with  the  Presidents  and  Superintendents  of  the  rail- 

4  roads  \Yithin  his  district,  to  arrange  such  schedules  for  the  move-  # 


4 

5  inent  of  government  trains  as  Avill  insure,  as  far  as  practicable, 

(j  their  uninterrupted,  safe  and  prompt  continuous  transportation 

7  along  their  several  railroads,  Tvithout  unnecessary  delays  on  or  at 

8  the  termini  of  either  of  the  railroads  in  his  district,  as  "well  as  to 

9  secure  like  close  connections  and   uninterrupted  transportation 

10  -^vith   the   railroads  of  districts   adjacent  to   his  O'wn.     If,  upon 

11  such  consultation  ^viih  such  Railroad  Presidents  and  Superinten- 

12  dents,  he  shall  fail  to  agree  vrith  them  upon  such  schedules  for 

13  uninterrupted    transportation,  he   shall   establish   a   schedule,  to 

14  -^vhich  it  shall  be  obligatory  on  the  officers  of  such  railroads  to 

15  conform  the  movements  of  their  trains.     If  the  officers  of  any 
IG  such  railroad,  over  -which  such  schedules  shall  have   been  estab- 

17  lished, shall  neglect  or  refuse  to  conform  to  sucli  schedules  the  move- 

18  ment  of  their  trains,  then,  upon  the  complaint  of  the  said  District 

19  Military  Superintendent,  and  upon  due  notice  of  such  complaint 

20  to  the  President  or  Superintendent  so  neglecting  or  refusing,  the 

21  Chief  of  Military  Transportation  may,  after  a  summary  hearing 

22  of  both  parties,  if  he   deem  such  complaint  well  founded,  call 

23  upon    the    general    commanding  the  department  in  "which  such 

24  recusant  President  or  Superintendent  shall  reside,  to  take  military 

25  possession  of  such  railroad,  and  deliver  it  to  such  District  Mili- 

26  tary   Superintendent,  to   be   controlled   and   managed  by  such 

27  officers  as  such  District  Superintendent  may  appoint,  and  so  long 


5 

28  as  the  said  Chief  of  Military  Transportation  may  deem  necessary 

29  to  the  military  operations  of  the  Government. 

1  Sec.  8.   Be  it  fari/ier  enacted,  That,   whenever   transportation 

2  for  troops,  officers  or  military  munitions  or  supplies,  is  desired 
i)  or  required  by  any*  military  oilicer.  such  officer  shall  give  the 
4  earliest  practicable  notice   of  such  requirement   to  the  proper 

0  ofiicer  of  the  railroad  or  railroads  over  which  such  transportation 
G  is    to   be  performed,  vdio   shall   himself  also   give  the  promptest 

7  notice  practicable,  of  such  lequirement,  to  the  proper  officer  of 

8  each  connecting  railroad  over  Avhich  the  same  transportation  is  to 

9  be  continued;   and  any  such  military  officer  making  such  a  requi- 

10  sition  shall  designate  the  hour  when  such  officers,  troops  or  miii- 

1 1  tary  munitions  or  supplies  will  be  completely  ready  for  transpor- 

12  tatiou,  and  it  shall   be  his  imperative  duty  to  see  that  they  are 

13  then  so  ready,  and,  after  v»hich  hour  no  train  shall  be  detained 
11  without  the  consent  of  the  controlling  officers^of  such  railroad; 
15  but  the  hours  of  departure  and  arrival,  and  all  other  matters 
1()  relating  to  the  movements  of  trains  shall  be  controlled  exclu- 

17  sively  by  such  officers  of  the  railroads  performing  the  transpor- 

18  tation. 

1  Sec.  9.  Be  it  furthtr  enacted,  That  whenever,  upon  the  repre- 

2  sentation  of  any   General,  commanding  any  Department,  or  in 

3  the  judgment  of  any  of  the  said  District  Military  Superintendents, 


6 

4  or  of  the  said  Ciiief  of  Miiiiarv  Railroad  Tran.-:portatioii,  or  bv.a 

5  General  coinmanding  a  Divi^^ioiij.AvIien  neitlicr  of  the  three  above 
G  named  officers  arc  present,  it   shall   be   deemed  necessary,  or  of 

7  great    importance  to  the    public   service,  either  to  remove   the 

8  rails   or  other   movable    structures,   or  *the    machinery    of  any 
0  Railroad  in  any  district,  in  order  to  prevent  their  capture  by  the 

iO  public  enemy,  or  to  repair,  extend  or  alter  the  road\Yay,  structures 

11  or  machinery  of  such  Railroad,  or  to  construct  any  side  tracks, 

12  -water  stations,  Avarehouses,  or  other  structures  connected  with 

10  any  such  Railroad;  such  work  shall  be,  upon  the  requisition 

11  of  such  District  Superintendents,  promptly  executed  under  the 
15  control  and  superintendence,  if  practicable,  of  the  officers  of  sucii 
IG  Railroad,  and  if  they  cannot  or  will  not  execute  it  as  promptly 

17  or  as  well  as  may  be  practicable  by  such  District  Superintendent, 

18  the  cost  thereof  in  either  case  to  be  defrayed  by  the  Treasurer  of 

19  the  Confederaile  States,  on  the  warrant  of  such  District  Superin- 
2U  tendent,  and  to  be  charged  to,  and  refunded  by,  the  Company  on 

21  whose  Riilroad  such  structures  are  constructed,  or  such  repairs, 

22  extensions   or  alterations   of  roadway,  structures  or  machinery 

23  are  made,  to  the  extent  only,  however,  and  at  the  time  when  they 

24  shall  be  of  value  and  importance  to  such  Company,  irrespective 

25  of  their  exclusive  value  to  the   Government ;  such  value  to  be 

26  determined  by  the  estimate  of  three  impartial  arbitrators,  one  of 


7 

27  whom  shall  be  selected  by  such  Company,  another  by  the  Gov- 

28  ernment,  and  by  those  two  the  third  shall  be  chosen. 

1  Sec.  10.  Be  it  further  enacted,  That  if  any  Superintendent  or 

2  President  of  any  Railroad  Company  shall  wilfully  fail  or  refuse, 

3  upon  a  requisition  made  in  the  manner  hereinbefore  indicated,  to 

4  furnish  transportation  for  troops  and  munitions  of  war  to  the 

5  extent  required,  and  to  the  extent  of  the  capacity  of  the  road, 

6  the  officer  or  officers  so  offending,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a 

7  military  offence,  and  for  such  offence  shall  be  tried  and  punished 

8  at  the  discretion  of -a  court  martial — a  portion  of  the  punishment 

9  inflicted  by  which,  should  the  party  tried  be  found  guilty,  shall 
be  removal  from  official  connection  with  tlie  road. 

1  Sec.  11.  i?fi  it  further  enacted.  That  any  officer  or  employee, 

2  connected  with   any  Railroad,  upon  whom   by   this    Act    it  is 

3  provided  military  rank  shall  be  conferred,  if  he  fails  wilfully  in 

4  any  manner  to   perform  his  duty,  as  such  officer  or  employee, 

5  whereby  detention  or  detriment  may  occur  in  the  transportation 

6  of  troops   or  munitions   of  war,   shall  be   deemed  guilty  of   a 

7  military  offence,  end  punished   at   the   discrection  of   a   court 

8  martial — a  portion  of  the  punishment  inflicted  by  which,  should 

9  the  party  tried  be  found  guilty,  shall  be  removal  from  office  or 
10  employment  in  connection  with  the  road:  Provided,  That  the 
tl  court  martial,  to  be  ordered  under  this  and  the  preceding  section, 


8 

12  shall  l)G  composed  alike  of  oficers,  upon  wliom  by  this  Act  rank 

13  is  conferred,  and  of  officcps  of  the  army. 

1  Sec.   12.   Be  it  further    cnadid.  That   the    Military    Chief   of 

2  Railroad  Transportation,  and  the  District  Superintendents,  shall 

3  each  be  entitled  to  one  Clerk,  to  vrhom  shall  be  paid  a  salary  of 

4  $800,  except  to   tlie  Clerk   of  the   Military  Chief,  whose  salary 
o  shnll  be  S1.200. 


Hollinger  Corp. 
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